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ARLINGTON REVISITED 14. We were extremely gratified by the response of the members to our February feature on the Burke steamer ARLINGTON, and her loss on May 1st, 1940. There were many interesting comments, including one from Bill Breaker to the ef­ fect that the Midland Transportation Company Limited was incorporated March 20, 1913, by Edward Francis Burke, David James (Joseph? ) Burke and Frederick John Burke, mariners; John Walter Benson, accountant, and David Hartley Clark, lumberman, all of Midland. The name was changed to Burke Towing & Salvage Company Limited on April 17, 1925, and the company's charter was surrendered on March 9, 1949. Ron Beaupre confirmed that, like ours, none of his registers support the al­ legation that ARLINGTON ever received new boilers. Skip Gillham notes that Dana Bowen's biography of Capt. George Hindman indicates that Hindman char­ tered ARLINGTON from Misener in 1935 and "continued on her as master". Bob MacDonald has noted that in 1938, ARLINGTON and SALVUS were bringing pulp­ wood to Erie, Pennsylvania. Another interesting note concerns the two deckhands on ARLINGTON when she was lost. They were both players on the Midland junior hockey team, and it is said that "Tatey Bug" Burke, being an avid sports fan, was prevailed upon to give them jobs on the ARLINGTON for the summer to keep them in Midland. It is also said that neither ever set foot aboard a freighter again after the ARLINGTON sank out from under them on Lake Superior on their first trip! * * * * * ADDITIONAL MARINE NEWS A March 2nd press report confirmed that Port Weller Dry Docks has the con­ tract to join the bow of HAMILTON TRANSFER to the stern of CANADIAN EXPLORER to create CANADIAN TRANSFER, which should be ready for service in mid- August of 1998. A new 24-foot midsection will be added, and the completed ship will be 650 feet in length, with a capacity of 16, 000 tons of cargo. Shipping observers will note with pleasure that the forward cabins of HAMIL­ TON TRANSFER will be retained, apparently because the height of her unloading equipment would make navigation from a stern pilothouse impos­ sible. This certainly will be one of the most unusual rebuildings that the lakes ever have seen. The new owner of the former C. S. L. self-unloader SAGUENAY has been identi­ fied as Pierre Gagne Contracting Ltd. SAGUENAY, which was towed up from Toronto during the autumn, was acquired to help remove a "blob" of chemical pollution from the bottom of Thunder Bay harbour. It was reported in mid-January that scrapping was almost complete at Erie, Pennsylvania, of the 1897-built sandsucker NIAGARA. Retired by Erie Sand Steamship Company in 1982, she was rescued from the Ramey's Bend scrapyard by the City of Erie in 1986, but plans for her to become a museum never came together. The eventual decision was that a sandsucker was not suitable for public display and visitation. We understand that the tug that will push the Interlake barge PATHFINDER is to be named simply JOYCE. The name is to honour the wife of Clyde Van Enke- vort, president of Upper Lakes Towing Inc. PATHFINDER'S first two trips of the season reportedly will be from Kelley's Island to Cleveland with stone. Never let it be said that shipowners don't have a heart. We have it on good authority that the venerable cement carrier E. M. FORD is being all gussied up whilst in winter lay-up at Saginaw, and that she will be put in service for several weeks this coming summer to commemorate her centenary. The FORD, (a) PRESQUE ISLE (I)(56), built in 1898, will make appearances at major La­ farge terminals to celebrate this noteworthy anniversary. E. M. FORD last ran in 1996, and most observers despaired of ever seeing her operate again.